SAN DIEGO -- If you suffer from back pain, you may want to get a yoga mat.

The results of a major new medical study found yoga is more effective than conventional exercise in relieving low back pain.

When Willie Depascle wants to blow off a little steam, he zips into his leathers and fires up his Harley.

But Depascle almost had to park his hog for good, all because of a bad back.

Depascle's had on-again off-again low back pain for 20 years.

"About two years ago, I had back pain and it didn't go away," said Depascle.

When he finally lost feeling in his legs, Depascle had surgery for a severely herniated disc.

He recovered from the surgery, but conventional post-surgical physical therapy could only take him so far.

"At the time, I was walking with a cane and I wasn't able to move or bend down. I was as stiff as they come," said Depascle.

When Depascle's doctor suggested he give yoga a try, he admits he was skeptical.

"It was a little far out. Here I am a thick-headed New Yorker -- an Italian New Yorker! I said, 'I'll give it a shot,'" said Depascle.

Diana Smith is a registered yoga instructor who also just happens to be a physical therapist.

She says combining the Eastern and Western treatment methods can bring relief to many back pain sufferers.

"A lot of the back pain is not related to bones, discs or vertabrae, but it's soft tissue in nature. It's primarily related to hip tightness, hamstrings and rotators in front of the thighs," said Smith.

For patients like Depascle, Smith uses props like a block to help him perform yoga poses that can strengthen weak muscles.

"So, you're strengthening other parts of the body to take the heat off the low back," said Smith.

Smith says the key is individualized treatment.

For Depascle, stretching his hamstrings freed up his back muscles and relieved his pain.

"Over time, you notice you can move your legs different -- more so than before, and you can do poses you couldn't do, so your body's opening up," said Depascle.

This is leaving Depascle open to all kinds of possibilities -- like hitting the open road pain-free.

The Yoga for Back Pain study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and came with a note of caution. If you have low back pain, don't just sign up for a yoga class. You should get an individualized assessment before hitting the mat on your own.

If you'd like more information on yoga as part of physical therapy, you can contact Equilibrium Therapeutics in San Diego or go to www.EquilibriumTherapeutics.com.